NBA Blog

Oh yeah baby.  Two posts today.  I’m getting crazy.  Since I feel utterly worthless in the office today, I thought I’d give you a little something I promised last week.  Football lines for the weekend, and my picks.  

Important note: I’m exceptionally nervous and freaking out about my upcoming bar results.  Nothing to worry about, but if I fail, there’s a 95% chance I don’t have a job.  Of course, this means nothing with my student loan payments, credit card payments, and that little thing called a MORTGAGE!  What’s there to worry about?  This is why your devoted writer has been so scatterbrained as of late.  I can’t freaking think. 

Anyway.  In honor of my last full day of work (read the previous paragraph), on to the picks:

Saturday - I meant to post something yesterday about the lock that was Georgia Tech, but since I didn’t, you’re just going to have to take my word for it.  I had planned to post five lines for your enjoyment, but since I didn’t get the GT line up yesterday, I added a sixth pick for the price of five.  (Home teams in bold.)

1.  Minnesota (-3) over Purdue - Purdue is not that good this year, and I think Minnesota will be able to exert its running game and control the clock.  This comes down to a 1-2 TD win for the Golden Gophers.

2.  WVU (-21.5) over East Carolina - Steve Slaton is going to have another monster game and the Mountaineers win by at least 28.

3.  USF (+3.5) at Kansas - I don’t like many teams in the Big XII this year, and I think Kansas is the worst of the lot.  I don’t see any reason why USF can’t keep this within a field goal, and possibly walk away with a W.  If you’re feeling frisky, take the USF money line.

4.  Tennessee (-22) over Marshall - Tennessee at home against Marshall after a one point home loss to Florida.  Please, this is a sure-fire winner.

5.  Missouri (-22) over Ohio - Ohio is not good.  Mizzou is not terrible.  It’s a home game for Mizzou before entering conference.  They’ll work the kinks out against Ohio.  They should win by 24.

5.  Clemson (-16.5) over UNC - UNC flat out stinks.  Clemson has played too many teams close, and will look to blow out someone to get them on track.

There you have it sports fans; the college round-up.  Here’s how I think the NFL weekend will shake out:

1.  Jets (+5.5) at Buffalo - Both teams have been overachievers so far this year.  I think this will be a tight game all the way to the end and will come down to a field goal.  I still think Buffalo pulls it out, but Pennington and co. will keep it close.

2.  Steelers (-2) over Cincinnati - I’m not sold on Cincy right now for some reason.  I think Pittsburgh will be able to run the ball better against the Bengals than they did against Jacksonville’s physical defense.  Pittsburgh will “announce their presence with authority” and take over the clock and game keeping the Bengals’ offense off the field.  I’m also worried about Chad Johnson after last week’s shot.  If he’s healthy, I might be wrong, but I doubt it.

3.  Jags (+7) at Indianapolis - No Dwight Freeney, no Colts’ defense.  Plain and simple.  Jacksonville has the toughness to beat up on the Indy wideouts just like Pittsburgh did in the postseason last year, and just like New England did every year before that.  Also, without a running game to help Peyton, the Colts won’t be able to run the play-action big plays.  This is going to be a tight game all the way to the wire.

4.  Titans (+10.5) at Miami - until Daunte Culpepper does anything, I’m not taking a double digit spread.  Even if the ‘Fins are playing the hapless Titans.  Sorry.

5.  Texans (+4) v. Washington - Have the Redskins even scored four points this year?  They will also seriously miss Shaun Taylor at safety.  I really don’t like this game either way, so I’m guessing a FG wins it for Wash.

6.  Vikings (+3) v. Chicago - The Vikings are tough, and I’m not sold on Chicago’s offense.  At home, I’ll take the Vikes getting 3.

7.  Panthers (-3) at Tampa Bay - Something has to give in this game.  With Steve Smith possibly coming back, I think the Panthers get off the schnide.

8.  Packers (+6.5) at Detroit - I don’t like this game either.  It will be ugly.  The Packers are atrocious, but Detroit’s offense has been equally bad thus far.  The Packers will lose again, but it will be a tight, boring, and (insert your own bad adjective here) game. 

9.  Ravens (-6.5) at Cleveland - The Ravens believe they are that good and have been walking the walk.  Cleveland is too young and has too many holes on the O-line to do anything to stop Baltimore’s defense.  I think it will be a tough fight, but Cleveland won’t be able to do much of anything. 

10.  Cardinals (-4.5) v. St. Louis - I don’t know.  For some reason I think Edge goes off in this game. 

11.  Giants (+3.5) at Seattle - Three point win for the ‘Hawks in this one, even without Shockey at tight end.

12.  Eagles (-6) at San Francisco - San Francisco showed me some things last weekend, but I think that the Eagles will come out swinging for the fences after the loss last weekend.  It could get ugly early, and San Francisco won’t have enought to catch up to Philly at the end.

13.  Broncos (+6.5) at New England - Both teams have looked bad thus far.  I think they are both overrated, and this will be a low scoring game.  Parlay the Broncos with the under (39 points) and you’re looking at a winner.

14.  Monday Night Football: Falcons (-3) at New Orleans  - I’m taking the Falcons and I’ll tell you more about this one Monday morning.

“The ’70’s are over Mr. Lebowski!  You lost!  Get a job, you bum!”

In honor of sit-ins, protests, and over-zealous Hollywood celebrities who think that because they played-a-person-who cared-about-politics-in-a-show-one-time-so-everyone-should-obviously-listent-to-them, 1,000 Baltimore Orioles’ fans timed a walk-out at 5:08 pm of the make-up game yesterday.  The time was specfically chosen to honor former Oriole greats Brooks Robinson and Cal Ripken.  Orioles’ fans, who used to continually pack the house in the best ball-park in America, aren’t casual fans and have finally taken as much as they can handle.  They got it right this time.  Instead of not showing up for a game, which is what Pirates’ fans and Marlins’ fans have been doing for years, they actually showed up and made it obvious that they will not stand for the well below mediocrity level that has been set in Baltimore by the owner.  Not showing up for games hurts both the fans and the city.  It makes the city look bad, and eventually the team will just threaten to leave.  Then the fans get nothing.  Also, many tickets are owned by season ticket holders.  They’ve already paid, so their hurting themselves also.  This way, the fans show up for tickets they’ve already paid for, thereby getting at least SOMETHING for their hard-earned buck, and the walk-out makes it wholly obvious to EVERYONE involved that the fans are pissed off.  Maybe this is the beginning of something that will spur the O’s management into action.  I’m an O’s fan, and I’m sick and tired of nothing ever getting done to improve the franchise.  They’ve been in dire need of pitching for years and an infusion of young talent.  Instead, the team has continually settled for retreads.  As much as I loved B.J. Surhoff and Jeff Conine’s heart and soul, they never should have been starting, and they certainly should not have continued to be brought back year after year unless they were the savvy veteran that was a great clubhouse presence.  Instead, they continued to get run on the field without the O’s ever adding anything. 

Phew, I’m off my horse now.  I still thought it was great though.

Sarcastic, yet poignant column time:  Team USA is officially no longer the most dominant basketball power.  So the men have been struggling for years in the international game; who cares.  What really hurts is that the women lost to Russia.  Are there any international women’s teams?  It’s pathetic that we can’t win on the international level in either gender for a sport we invented and have controlled forever.  I didn’t even know other countries had women’s teams.  But seriously, how far has USA hoops fallen when our women can no longer dominate the game?

Urban watch:  Still unsigned as far as I know.  If any of you loyal readers hear anything post it here.